Smartphones…not just for texting anymore

At your office, the local coffee shop, or out to dinner at your favorite restaurant, look around…someone is using their smartphone. And more and more often, a purchase is being made.

According to eMarketer, one in five consumers will make a purchase in 2014 using a smartphone or a tablet. When the 2014 Holiday season arrives, you may see that number increase to 30 to 40%.

Formatting Tips

• Mail apps on smartphones has seen up to 53% higher click through rates than email accessed on a desktop computer. Therefore, it is extremely important that your messages are formatted to be readable on smaller screens.

• Use a narrow, vertical format to make it easier for mobile users to scroll down rather than having to scroll sideways to access the total message.

• Prepare content that is mobile friendly and also sent in a device-specific format. For example, emails that include flash will not work on iPhones because the iOS operating system is not supported by that technology.

• Screen mobile visitors by tracking the browsers used to access your site, as tablets and smartphones have different Web browsers than desktop computers.

Mobile Usage Study

A study on smartphone usage commissioned by Google revealed that 89% of smartphone owners use them on a daily basis. In fact, the users interact with their devices many times during the day.

Also, 81% of smartphone users browse the Web beyond using apps. This data suggests mobile-optimizing your Website could be more important than designing an app.

The research revealed more than half (67%) of smartphone users research products and go to a store to purchase. 23% of the buyers do research on their phones, check out the product in the store, and purchase it online.

Coupon Incentives

Mobile email marketing is also timelier than ever. Coupons sent to a customers’ inbox just might be accessed when your customer is right down the street from your storefront or even standing in your store aisle.

A survey conducted by RetailMeNot and The Omnibus Company found that 1 in 3 consumers searched for a coupon. Slightly more than one-quarter purchased in-store using a coupon found on their mobile device. The 18-34 age bracket were more likely to use a coupon than the over 35 group.

Interestingly, more men than women reported having purchased (61% vs 48%) using their mobile devices. This survey indicates that men are more active mobile shoppers and may be more likely to respond to those coupon offers.

Offering a high quality experience on mobile devices is a must-have for any business that wants to standout from the competition. Newer devices plus better mobile site designs means an overall increase in conversion rates.

Consumers are willing to spend money using their smartphones and tablets. Formatting your email messages to reach your target market is vital to getting your slice of the pie known as ecommerce.